A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Framework for Selecting Reliability Improvement Strategies of an Auxiliary Boiler in a Refinery Utility System: A Case Study at PT Pertamina Patra Niaga RU IV Cilacap
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58344/locus.v5i8.6060Keywords:
Decision-Based Strategy Selection, Analytical Hierarchy Process, Auxiliary Boiler, Reliability Improvement, Multi-Criteria Decision-Making, Refinery Utility SystemAbstract
The reliability of refinery utility systems plays a critical role in ensuring operational continuity, production efficiency, and safety in petroleum refining processes. At PT Pertamina Patra Niaga Refinery Unit (RU) IV Cilacap, the auxiliary boiler supporting the Residual Fluid Catalytic Cracking (RFCC) unit has experienced recurring reliability issues, particularly economizer tube failures, despite multiple corrective interventions. These recurring failures indicate that selecting an appropriate reliability improvement strategy is not merely a technical issue but a complex decision-making problem involving multiple conflicting criteria. Therefore, this study aims to develop a structured multi-criteria decision-making framework to identify the most appropriate reliability improvement strategy for auxiliary boiler 151B501. A case-based research design was employed using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) as the primary decision-support method. Expert judgments were collected from cross-functional stakeholders representing Engineering, Operation, Maintenance, and Management through pairwise comparison questionnaires. Five evaluation criteria Safety, Operational Reliability, Operational Flexibility, Ease of Implementation, and Cost and Risk Implications were used to assess four strategic alternatives. The results indicate that Safety and Operational Reliability are the most influential decision criteria, jointly accounting for approximately 68.9% of the overall priority weight. Comprehensive Physical Intervention emerged as the highest-ranked strategy with a global priority value of 0.427 and remained the preferred alternative under sensitivity analysis, demonstrating the robustness of the proposed framework. The study concludes that AHP provides a systematic, transparent, and accountable approach for prioritizing refinery reliability improvement strategies while integrating technical, operational, maintenance, and managerial perspectives. The proposed framework can support strategic asset management decisions and may be adapted for other critical utility systems in refinery operations.
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